behind the bar

just wanted to share a quick link to a guest post we were asked to do on design sponge for their behind the bar series. we came up with a blackberry smash and you can find the recipe over here. thanks to alissa & ryan and everyone at design sponge for letting us be a part of their amazing blog yet again!

if you love oysters and the new amsterdam market, hopefully you're going here on saturday. also, don't forget to go here and help nominate us for best food photography blog!

happy friday!

gorgonzola risotto

we have a favor to ask of you! whether you read regularly or just found us, we'd love your help in nominating pictures & pancakes for saveur's best of 2011 awards for food photography! go here and vote to get us on the ballot. the previous year's lists are filled with amazing artists we'd love to share company with - thanks for your help everyone!

the sun came out for a bit today and we pretended it was warm by having our first kelvin slush of the season - ginger and white peach, yum! we are headed to Birmingham, AL next week to work on a project we're excited to share. any food destinations we can't miss while we're there? also can't wait to share a recent shoot we did with adam richman of man vs. food. some great new cookbooks are out - can't wait to pick up this book on all things goat, heidi's latest and matt's book as well!

here's an easy, indulgent risotto recipe perfect for lunch with a salad or as a side paired with a nice piece of beef and a good bottle of red wine. it's so good and incredibly rich - you'll want to eat the entire pot!

Gorgonzola Risotto

serves 4

2 tbs olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup arborio rice

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 to 1 cup water

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 oz gorgonzola dulce

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

salt & pepper

parmesan cheese for garnish

heat oil in a medium pot over medium high heat. add onion and saute 5 to 8 minutes or until translucent. add garlic and cook 2 minutes more. add rice and stir to coat with oil, cooking 1 minute. add 1 cup of stock and stir constantly until all of the liquid is absorbed by the rice. add remaining stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until each portion is absorbed and rice is tender. add water 1/4 cup at a time if rice is not tender enough after 4 cups of stock have been added. reduce heat to low and stir in cream and gorgonzola. stir and cook until thickened. remove from heat, add walnuts and season to taste with salt and pepper. divide between bowls and garnish with parmesan cheese. enjoy!

behind the bar

we wanted to give you a sneak peek to a guest post that will be up in april on behind the bar, a design sponge monthly cocktail feature. we were lucky enough to share our gin & ginger a while back, and were thrilled to be asked to do another. we're really on a whiskey kick right now, and created a drink that we hope everyone can enjoy...we'll share the link to the recipe for our blackberry smash as soon as it's up! in the meantime, these simple cocktail nuts are perfect to go with almost any cocktail - cheers.

spicy maple almonds

makes 2 cups

2 cup dry roasted unsalted almonds

2 tbs maple syrup

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground chipolte chili

toss all ingredients in a bowl and mix together. spread on a sheet pan and place in a 350 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes. let cool completely and enjoy!

new work

just a quick hello and happy monday! wanted to share some fun new work in the april issue of martha stewart living - shot a delicious mad hungry with stuffed leg of lamb and steamed artichokes, a perfect menu from lucinda to get you in the mood for spring. the shoot was art directed by our friend dimity jones - check out her blog three to one.

think we're still stuffed from a good eating weekend in boston - tater tots near fennway here, creative cocktails with amazing ice cubes here, pizza and march madness here and maybe one of the best brunches of all time at highland kitchen!

stew & snow

from warm and sunny friday to snow and sleet today, east coast weather is so confusing! it's a good day to stay inside, read a book with a cup of tea and make a pot of this hearty warming fish stew. it's light and healthy while still being satisfying. and it's versatile - throw in whatever combinations of vegetables, beans, grains and fish you have on hand.

check out this article i worked on for the nest with a few other members of the big leo family. did you see the beet detox spread our friend jen, shot for the new issue of rue - it's beautiful! ready for a fun weekend in boston to celebrate a great friend's birthday - including a wine tasting event here.

Cod & White Bean Stew

serves 2

1 tbs olive oil

3 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced and cleaned well

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed

2 cups chicken stock

1 small bunch thyme

8 oz cod, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2 tbs chopped parsley

salt & pepper

heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium high heat. add leeks saute for 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. add celery and garlic and saute a few minutes more. add tomatoes, beans, stock and thyme and bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and warmed. add cod and simmer 5 to 8 minutes or until white and flaky. remove from heat, stir in parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. enjoy!

pb, chocolate & salt

a cool rainy thursday in nyc is the perfect day to bake! actually, any day is perfect for this easy combination of amazing flavors of peanut butter, chocolate and salt. we adapted this from an over ten year old bon appetit recipe found on epicurious.

also, check out what we've been up to lately:

- the spring issue of sweet paul magazine is out. we were happy to be a part of the kids issue developing & shooting 'freeze it' and especially enjoyed eating the strawberry shortcake ice cream sandwiches!

- hopefully you didn't miss andrew's latest work in the march issue of martha stewart living like these tasty cocktails, zucchini nut bread cookie sandwiches (and a fun stop motion video on the ipad), and lucinda's uncorned beef which we will definitely be making next week!

- i styled a great lamb article in the april/may issue of fine cooking and really enjoyed the roasted loins with mustard herb crust for dinner after the shoot!

- check out the blog at kosher.com, a great client we've been developing recipes for each month.

have a great weekend!

Salted Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

makes 2 dozen

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup old- fashioned oats

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup smooth peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, room temp

1/4 cup honey

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

5 ounces milk chocolate chips

2 tbs maldon salt

in a medium bowl, mix flour oats, baking soda and salt together. in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together peanut butter, sugar and butter until fluffy. add honey, egg and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. add dry ingredients in two additions and stir in chocolate. refrigerate dough 30 minutes or until no longer sticky.

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. roll a heaping tablespoonful of dough with your hands to make a ball and place on greased baking sheet, placing 12 on each sheet. using hands or the bottom of a glass, press balls down slightly so cookie is about 1/4-inch thick. sprinkle with maldon salt and bake 11 to 13 minutes or until beginning to brown but still slightly soft to the touch. cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. enjoy!

apple brandy

here's a quick and refreshing cocktail inspired by a drink from jg domestic that i tasted on a recent trip to philly. it went perfectly with the hickory smoked georgia pecans with maple & bacon! we used apple brandy from harvest spirits for this libation - they are located in the hudson valley and apparently give tours and tastings at their distillery. sounds like we need to take a road trip soon!

The Philadelphia

makes 1

1 oz high quality gin

1 oz apple brandy

1 tbs meyer lemon juice

2 tsp maple syrup

3 1/2 oz club soda

1 sprig thyme

1 slice of apple

in a cocktail shaker, combine gin, brandy, lemon juice and maple syrup with ice and shake well. pour into a high ball glass, top with club soda and stir. garnish with thyme and apple. enjoy!